'Crazy' man pulls knife during Kingsport traffic stop

The blotter is derived from recent incident reports and central dispatch records of local police agencies.

Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office

Dec. 24

Police were alerted to a suspicious man staggering on and off the roadway along Highway 11-W. He was found attempting to make entry into a van that was not his and admitted to drinking a pint of Kentucky Gentleman “in 10 seconds.” He was arrested for public intoxication and trespassing.

Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office

Dec. 21

At a mobile home park in Church Hill, a vehicle hit seven mailboxes, a fence and a trailer. The car’s owner stated reverse doesn’t work correctly, so he was pushing it to get it turned around. That’s when it rolled away from him and inflicted the damages, estimated at $3,000.

Dec. 22

The owner of a garage called police after finding bullet holes in his door and a banner hanging outside. One suspect was named: an “intoxicated customer” who recently refused to pay for work done to a vehicle.

Kingsport Police Department

Dec. 19

A woman told police that when she arrived home late from her grandmother’s funeral, her boyfriend accused of her of lying about her whereabouts, then choked her and spit in her face. When officers arrived at the apartment, the suspect had barricaded the door with a couch, making police force entry. Once they were inside, he complied with commands and was jailed for aggravated assault.

Dec. 25

A tampering alarm was tripped on an ATM at a Memorial Boulevard gas station. A responding officer spoke with a man at the machine, learning he had active warrants out of Sullivan County. The suspect then tried to run away but was apprehended across the street after being threatened with a Taser. In his possession were pills, meth, marijuana and a syringe, spurring additional drug charges.

Dec. 26

— Loss prevention called police to Walmart on Fort Henry Drive, saying two people were observed hiding merchandise in a backpack. The pair were detained and the stolen merchandise — valued at more than $1,000 — was successfully recovered. Both were arrested for felony theft.

— Dispatch was advised of a man in a car becoming “very violent” with the female driver. A stop of the vehicle was conducted on Lynn Garden Drive, where the woman exited and exclaimed her father was “high and going crazy.” The suspect was initially calm with police, but quickly became combative and pulled a knife, yelling expletives. Once disarmed, he punched an officer in the chest, then was pulled from the vehicle and detained on the ground. He was arrested for aggravated assault on law enforcement, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public intoxication.